Prescott Fire Department gets upgrade in fire-risk rating

City rating improves from four to two

Fire department crews extinguish a fire in a box van in the roundabout from westbound Highway 89A and Granite Dells Parkway in this 2014 file photo. The Prescott Fire Department’s insurance rating has improved from a four to two; best is one, worst is 10. (Les Stukenberg/Courier, file)

Lower insurance rates could be on the horizon for local property owners, after the latest improvement in the Prescott Fire Department’s rating with the Insurance Services Office.

A news release from the city reports that Prescott’s rating with the Insurance Services Office (ISO) went from a four in 2012 to a two in its most recent rating.

The rating scale ranges from 10, for those areas with little or no fire protection, to one, the top rating.

The news release notes that the rating is based on a variety of factors, including fire department staffing levels, communications and alarm notifications, water supply, and water flow.

“This a result of a coordinated effort at all levels of the Fire Department, the Prescott Regional Communications Center, and the city’s Public Works Department, which has been continually upgrading infrastructure over the past few years,” said Prescott Fire Chief Dennis Light.

An Arizona representative of the ISO began the evaluation of the Prescott Fire Department in August 2017, Light said.

The city’s previous assessment took place in 2011-12, resulting in the four rating.

Light said he believes the latest rating is Prescott’s highest to-date. “To the best of my knowledge, two is the best we’ve had,” he said.

Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli applauds the new rating. “I know the Prescott Fire Department has worked diligently to improve this rating over the past few years,” he said. “Prescott citizens and businesses will benefit in many ways, not the least of which is peace of mind knowing they live in a safer city today.”

The new rating goes into effect on April 1, 2018.

“Generally, a numerically lower ISO rating number leads to lower insurance rates, although that is not a guarantee,” the news release states.

The City of Prescott encourages citizens and business owners are to contact their insurance agents directly to learn about possible benefits of the new classification.